When it was released on the PC last year, Doom 3 was met with surprisingly mixed reactions. While nearly everyone agreed that it was the most impressive looking PC game to date, many players didn't feel that it lived up to their lofty (and possibly unrealistic) expectations. Some people took umbrage with the fact that you had to frequently switch between your trusty flashlight and your weapon, while others found the gameplay to be slow-paced and repetitive. Still, there was no denying that the game did a lot of things right, creating a dark, atmospheric world that was populated by some of the creepiest creatures ever to set foot outside of Hell. Unfortunately, not everyone got to try their hand at the game, due to the fact that you needed a pretty powerful PC to run it smoothly. Luckily for us, however, the folks at id Software decided to bring the game to the Xbox, and it looks like it's been worth the wait.

Although the game features a decent storyline, we figured our time would be better spent telling you what new features have been added to the Xbox version of the game. If you want to find out why everyone is going to Mars, however, you can check out Sluggo's review of the PC game right here. Besides, even though the story is cool, Doom 3 is basically a re-imagining of the original Doom game, and that was just a good excuse to blow the crap out of monsters with a variety of devastating weapons.


The Xbox version of the game is being developed by Vicarious Visions, at it's obvious that they understand some of the fundamental differences between PC and Xbox games, particularly in regards to memory limitations and pacing. Most of the PC game's 20-odd levels have been split up, allowing the developers to use the leftover memory to ensure that the graphics and lighting still look great. Many sections have been reworked, or cut out altogether, to keep the action flowing at a brisk pace. This might be the best change from the PC game, as there were some areas that dragged on a bit. Now, however, you'll be running and gunning your way from start to finish.

As was the case with the PC game, Doom 3 looks excellent, with impressive textures and a solid lighting system. This actually seems to change the game quite a bit, and since televisions are generally darker than monitors, you'll find yourself using the flashlight less often. Sure, there are some areas that definitely require a little extra light, but you won't have to deal with the near constant switching that plagued the PC game. That's not to say, however, that the game isn't as creepy as its cousin. I still found myself jumping when a monster lurched out of the shadows, and there were quite a few moments that were downright disturbing.